Glanfield - The Devils Chariots: the Origins and Secret Battles of Tanks in the First World War

This book is dedicated to the brave men who took the first tanks into battle, and to the determined pioneers who fought to forge them the new weapon.

All his armour wherein he trusted

Of the many who helped so willingly with research, guidance and timely encouragement in the preparation of this account, special thanks must first go to David Fletcher, late archivist at the Bovington Tank Museum and fount of knowledge of all things armoured on tracks and wheels. David has given generously of his time and researches for many years and has contributed more than he may realise to the emergence of this book. Other custodians to whom the authors grateful thanks are due for their unfailing efficiency and patience are William Spencer and Paul Johnson and their many colleagues at the Public Record Office in Kew; Keith Moore, senior librarian at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers; Patricia Methven, the director of archive services, and Kate OBrien and Marie Taylor at the priceless Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, Kings College, London; Colin Starkey, Meredith Wells and Alan Giddings at the National Maritime Museum; the staff in the old British Library and their colleagues at the Newspaper Library in Colindale; Colin Harris of the Department of Special Collections and Western Manuscripts at the Bodleian Library; Mrs Vallis at Nuffield College Library, Oxford; Alan Kucia, late of the Churchill Archives Centre at Churchill College, Cambridge; senior archivist Jonathan Smith and his colleagues at Trinity College Library, Cambridge; John Breslin in the House of Lords library; Angela Wooton of the Imperial War Museums Printed Books and Documents Department and the indefatigable John Delaney in the museums Photographic Department; Prof. David Jeremy at the Centre for Business History, Manchester University; Alan Crookham in the Modern Records Centre at Warwick University; archivist Robert Sharp and photo researcher Martin Stephens at the Science Museum; Tim Robinson at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies; the library and photo archive staff of the RAF Museum, Hendon; Miss Wraight of the MoD Admiralty Library; Josephine Grant at the London Transport Museum and the staff at the London Metropolitan Archive for much help in tracing members of the motor bus elite; Elizabeth Dracoulis, Research Centre manager at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra; Susan Applegate of the Boston Public Library, Massachusetts; Bill Woods and Claire Leblanc at the National Archives of Canada in Ottawa for unearthing service records; Tom Tytor in the National Library of Canada, Ottawa; Jennie OKeefe at the Greenwich Local History Library; Ian Johnston at Cricklewood Library for information on the Dollis Hill establishment; Christine Bayliss of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Archives Centre; David Hufford of Huntingdon Library and Susan Thomas at the County Record Office in Huntingdon; Georgina Hammond at Gravesend Central Library; the staff at Tyne & Wear Archives, Newcastle upon Tyne; Adrian Wilkinson at Lincolnshire Archives; Alison Lindsay at the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh; Edmund Wyatt in the Mitchell Library of the Glasgow City Archive; Richard Jones and the staff at the Archives and Business records centre, University of Glasgow; Margaret McGarry and the splendid Motherwell Heritage Centre; archivist Peter Miller and the researchers at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu; Margaret Sanders at Worcester City Library; Dawn Winter of the Sandwell Community History Service in Smethwick and Yvonne Richards of West Bromwich library concerning Patent Shaft; Colin Savage, director of the Staffordshire Record Office, Stafford, and the helpful staff at the adjoining Wm Salt Library.

The author was privileged to have met the late Bryan Wilson, son of Maj Walter Wilson, for a long interview at his Winchester home. John and David Stern, sons of Sir Albert Stern, have willingly made available Sir Alberts private papers and, with their sister Mrs Patience Marriott, gave wholehearted support. Paul Tritton has provided information on his distinguished relation Sir William. For personal papers and photographs of Col Dumble of the Landships Committee, special thanks go to Gill de Auer in Toronto, Sally Archibald in Scotland and the editor of the Toronto Star for bringing us together. Likewise to Fiona Harris for her kindness in tracing photos and papers relating to Maj Tom Tulloch, and to Geoffrey Jarvis for introducing us. Ray Hooley in Lincoln typically and unhesitatingly offered for study his large archive of material on Fosters of Lincoln and the early tanks.

Others who must warmly be thanked for providing information or special permissions are Edward, Earl of Iveagh whose wholehearted support led me to historians Neville and Gill Turner, all three of whom gave much valuable information, Lord Addison for clearance to copy the Addison papers in the Bodleian Library, His Grace the Duke of Westminster and his archivist Eileen Simpson, Idris Bowen, dogged Jack Chamberlain, Wilfred Duncombe, Richard Farman, Michael Lane, author of the masterly The Story of the Wellington Foundry, Lincoln, Stuart Gibbard who wrote the equally impressive Roadless the Story of Roadless Traction, Charles Lothingland, Dorothy Reid, Ricardo Consulting Engineers Ltd and Margaret Dean for information on Sir Harry Ricardo, John Reynolds whose Engines and Enterprise the Life and Work of Sir Harry Ricardo is the definitive account, Bill Souster, Anne Williamson and the Henry Williamson Literary Estate.

The authors good friend Ven Dodge, retired sales director of Col Johnsons Roadless Traction Ltd, generously provided material on the colonels tank and later developments. He also prepared for publication many of the illustrations in this book, numbers of which entailed challenging restoration. The enthusiastic and professional support of commissioning editor Emily Holmes, Sam Collins and all at Osprey Publishing has ensured a smooth passage for this newly revised edition, for which my grateful thanks. Though many have contributed, responsibility for any errors and misinterpretations is rightly mine alone. Last but most importantly of all, my thanks go to my dear wife Caroline for her encouragement and forbearance.